Severe August Monsoon Deficit in India, South India Hardest Hit

In August, India experienced a significant monsoon deficit of 32% nationally, with the southern region recording an alarming 62% less rainfall than typical between August 1-28. Despite isolated rain showers across the nation, the Central region’s deficit, encompassing major agricultural zones in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, has expanded. This shortage may jeopardize crops in non-irrigated regions. While rainfall was 36% below average from August 1-21 in the Central area, this shortage grew to 42% between August 1-28. In contrast, the east and northeast regions witnessed 8% above-average rainfall during this period. The southern peninsula has been most affected, with rainfall measuring only 38% of the long-term average, and states like Karnataka experiencing a deficit of up to 75%. Although the agricultural ministry has not commented on the rainfall’s impact on crops, the situation in several states, including Gujarat and Maharashtra, is deemed concerning. To address the issue, the central government extended the deadline for farmers to enroll in the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) until August 16, and in Jammu and Kashmir until August 31. Enrollment in the crop insurance scheme reflects these concerns, with the current kharif season seeing 7.51 crore applications, up from 6.98 crore the previous year. As of August 24, the water level in 118 reservoirs with irrigation facilities stood at 64% of their combined capacities.